Preserving jobs, addressing S’poreans’ anxieties over competition with foreigners, among top priorities for Govt: President Halimah

• Jobs will be the Government’s top priority over the next few years, said President Halimah Yacob said
• She was addressing the new Parliament’s first sitting on Monday
• Her wide-ranging speech addressed key issues in the new term, such as the economy and social mobility
• She warned of the potentially divisive issue of competition between Singaporeans and foreigners for jobs
• Beyond Covid-19, a permanent shift in social policy is needed to have stronger safety nets for individuals

 

SINGAPORE — The need to sustain jobs will remain a top priority for Singapore over the next few years, with Covid-19 amplifying the financial pressures faced by Singaporean workers, President Halimah Yacob said at the opening of the 14th Parliament on Monday (Aug 24).

In a 30-minute speech at Parliament House, she said that keeping people employed is the “best way” to help them take care of their families and to keep their skills current until the economy improves.

Her address was also streamed live to some Members of Parliament at The Arts House and on national television, and it touched on a range of bread-and-butter issues confronting Singapore amid the pandemic, including jobs and the economy, social mobility, the nature of politics and the Singaporean identity.

The reconvening of Parliament was spread across both locations for the first time in history, in order to allow for safe distancing measures given the number of invited guests.

Setting out the agenda for the new parliamentary term, Madam Halimah noted that Singapore's economy is likely to shrink between 5 and 7 per cent in 2020, and the country also faces a less benign and predictable external environment due to the sharpening fault lines around the world.

“This is especially challenging for Singapore, as we make our living by doing business with the world,” Madam Halimah said.

“For Singapore to continue to succeed, we need to understand these changes in our external and domestic environments, rethink our problems and improve on the status quo.”

However, it does not mean upending the status quo. She added: “Sometimes, staying the course will remain the best way forward and we must convince Singaporeans to persevere. Other problems will require fresh approaches and the courage to take a different direction. In all cases, we will seek to do what is best for Singapore and Singaporeans.”

Warning of the “significant structural changes” that the Singapore economy will need to undergo in order to stay strong and competitive during the pandemic, Madam Halimah said that the country's status as a vibrant hub for the region and an attractive place for trade, investments, talent and ideas may not always hold.

She said: “We cannot take our hub status for granted, or assume that its scope and role will remain the same. There is therefore great urgency to transform our economy and find new ways to make a living.”

Air travel will be resumed safely to maintain Singapore’s role as a global and regional hub, and the Government will strengthen digital connectivity and aid firms in developing their links to new markets, she said.

Ongoing efforts to fortify Singapore’s resilience in “critical areas” such as food, healthcare and supply chain management can become new sources of growth, as well as the country’s major push towards sustainable growth, she said.

“With creativity and resourcefulness, we can turn our aspirations for a greener Singapore into a competitive advantage.” 

STRENGTHENING THE S’POREAN IDENTITY

But given the worries over employment and the economy, Madam Halimah also warned of the potentially divisive issue of the competition between Singaporeans and work pass holders for jobs.

She pledged that this major source of anxiety will be addressed in the new term.

“As masters of our own land, Singaporeans must have confidence in the rights and privileges of citizenship.”

Singapore’s workforce “can compete against the best in the world” due to the country’s strong education system and training pathways, Madam Halimah said.

Singapore will work with employers to further strengthen the Singaporean workforce in every field and ensure that firms treat Singaporeans fairly when recruiting or retrenching workers, she added.

“In all that we do, the interests of Singaporeans are always paramount. At the same time, we must not turn inwards, away from the world. We must keep our hearts open to those who come from beyond our shores.

“Our Singaporean identity has been formed and strengthened not by excluding those who arrive later, but by successive arrivals adding to the richness of our society.” 

To address these emotive and sensitive issues that are easily polarised, she called for Singaporeans to “work even harder to listen to and understand one another”.

“We must break out of the echo chambers that form so easily online and make genuine attempts to bridge the gap with those who think differently from us. We must strive to obtain greater insight, build shared understanding and use our diverse perspectives and ideas to achieve better outcomes for all.”

PERMANENT SHIFT IN SOCIAL POLICY

There is also a need to shift to a permanent new normal after the Covid-19 crisis passes, because individuals will need greater social support than before, she added, more so than the emergency measures to help Singaporeans cope with the ongoing pandemic.

This will require a shift of social policy in which the Government will do more to support every Singaporean at each stage of life, she said.

“We will have to consider carefully how to strengthen our safety nets, to give Singaporeans more assurance coping with life’s uncertainties. And we will have to be careful to do so in a way that is financially sustainable for future generations,” Madam Halimah added.

This includes more help for young families to own their homes and improve the lives of them and their children through education and training, as well as more help for middle-aged Singaporeans to secure jobs and assurance of retirement adequacy.

The Government will also care for seniors and help them to age well and with dignity, she said.

But more redistribution cannot be the only way to level up those who are doing less well, as social mobility must also be strengthened and the concept of meritocracy has to be broadened as well, Madam Halimah said.

“(Meritocracy) has served us well over the past 55 years. However, just as our social norms and policies have evolved in tandem with Singapore’s development, so too must our model of meritocracy.”

Highlighting a concerted effort to value a wide range of talents, including how political parties in the recently concluded General Election had fielded diverse candidates who have taken different paths in life, Madam Halimah spoke of the importance of investing in education and lifelong learning in order to build a fair and just society.

“We recognise that unfettered meritocracy can foster excessive competition. We also realise the need to level up families who are at a disadvantage, and give their children a fair start in life. We want to keep our society open and socially mobile, and not allow it to stratify and ossify over time.”